No to Homophobia! No to Islamaphobia! After Orlando, What's Next?

No to Homophobia! No to Islamophobia! After Orlando, What Next? Wednesday, June 22, 7pm Queens Pride House, 76-11 37th Ave, 2nd Fl, Jackson Heights E / F / R / M or 7 to 74th St - Roosevelt - Broadway Once again, the toxic bigotry pervasive in the US political mainstream, in a society with easy access to the most deadly of weapons, has resulted in violence. But before we could even begin to process and grieve over the monumental loss of life in Orlando, a struggle began to define the meaning of this latest atrocity. One could point to numerous symptoms of anti-LGBT bigotry. As hundreds of pieces of legislation are considered across the United States, discussing which rights to deny LGBT people sends a clear message that their lives are worthless. But instead, the supposed “left” side of the national discussion in the aftermath of Orlando was dominated by leading voices of the Democratic Party. At worst, they were indistinguishable from Republicans in their bloodthirsty cries for vengeance against innocent people in the Middle East. At best, they tried to deflect the discussion away from the roots of this violence–often onto the issue of guns and gun control. Focusing on the how of American violence rather than the why might seem pragmatic, but it actually leads our side to abdicate the fight over the meaning of the Pulse massacre, ceding the ground to reactionary explanations like Islamophobia. In the face of a campaign to turn a hate-filled massacre of LGBTQ Latinx into future hate-filled violence directed at Muslims, there’s a crying need to build awareness about the terrible toll of war, and of racial and gender violence. Join the Queens Branch of the International Socialist Organization for a discussion of the roots and implications of this tragedy, and how we can continue to organize locally to stand up to homophobia and racism. ** To welcome those celebrating Ramadan, water, dates, and snacks will be made available at the event. ** Suggested Readings: Homophobia, Islamophobia, and War on Terror "They Want to Use Orlando for "The War on Terror," SW, 6/15/2016 https://socialistworker.org/2016/06/15/they-want-to-use-orlando-for-the-war-on-terror "Don't Turn Homophobia Into Islamophobia," SW, 6/13/2016 https://socialistworker.org/2016/06/13/dont-turn-homophobia-into-islamophobia "Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Call for Bombing ISIS After Orlando Shooting That ISIS Didn’t Direct," The Intercept, 6/13/2016 https://theintercept.com/2016/06/13/hillary-clinton-and-donald-trump-call-for-more-airstrikes-on-isis-after-orlando-massacre-that-isis-didnt-direct/ Anti-LGBTQ Legislation "How 'Bathroom Bills' Feed Bigotry," SW, 6/16/2016 https://socialistworker.org/2016/06/16/how-bathroom-bills-feed-bigotry "The Myth of the Progressive Capitalist" Jacobin, 4/13/16 https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/04/north-carolina-mccrory-lgbt-bias-bathroom-bill/ Gun Control Debate "The Orlando Massacre Can't Be Reduced to Guns," SW, 6/16/2016 https://socialistworker.org/2016/06/16/orlando-killings-cant-be-reduced-to-guns "Ignoring the Real Roots of American Violence," SW, 6/25/2015 https://socialistworker.org/2015/06/25/ignoring-the-real-roots-of-american-violence "The Secret History of Guns," Atlantic, 9/2011 http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/09/the-secret-history-of-guns/30860 "Gun Control's Racist Reality: The Liberal Argument for Giving Police More Power," Salon, 6/24/2015 http://www.salon.com/2015/06/24/gun_controls_racist_reality_the_liberal_argument_against_giving_police_more_power/ LGBT Political History "The Sexual Revolution," ISR, Chistopher Phelp's Review of Sherry Wolf's Sexuality and Socialism http://isreview.org/issue/68/sexual-revolution "LGBT Struggle: Where Do We Go From Here," ISR, Sherry Wolf http://isreview.org/issue/69/lgbt-struggle-where-do-we-go-here